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Original poster

Birmingham- advice on where to live?

63 replies

sumoweeble · 14/04/2015 20:16

I will be a newly single parent. I have 3 kids- two older teens and a 5 year old.

We like:
city life (not villages or suburbs)
walking, good public transport, cycling (I don't drive and though intending to learn am cack handed and it will take years I expect)
the library of Birmingham
parks, museums, cafes, culture, shops
friendly people

We need:
a reasonable primary school and later a secondary school (not grammar or private)
a reasonable 6th form or college (not grammar or private)
cheap accommodation (the cheaper the better! Budget for buying is about £160,000 and I need 3 bedrooms)
Not too far to get to a train station that goes into London youngest child will need to have contact visits with her father there regularly.

Is there anywhere that fits the bill or do I need to think again?

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UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:00

There's the primary on Charlotte Road, there's one off Dad's Lane, there's one towards Cotteridge on the Pershore Road. There's Bournville Primary too ( not the further away secondary that is in special measures). There's Kings Norton Boys and Girls too. I don't know how good any of them are though.

UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:01

And you're very close to the station there. No parking though...

There is if you're crafty.

senua · 15/04/2015 00:01

That looks a nice house. And it's freehold, too (BVT was originally all leasehold but they have to sell the freehold, if requested, these days).

UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:03

Isn't that house on the wrong side of the railway bridge to be on the BVT though?

Original poster
sumoweeble · 15/04/2015 00:03

There appears to be a cadbury technology school... Perhaps my wastrel sons could go there and learn to make chocolate.

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AtomicDog · 15/04/2015 00:06

It's not in BVT though, hence not in catchment for Bournville I, hence price.

Steer clear of 'the one off Dad's Lane'- Moor Green Primary.

UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:07

There's a bit of gossip about the technology college..
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/head-suspended-amid-affair-schools-8421439

Moor Green very handy for the chip shop though.

Original poster
sumoweeble · 15/04/2015 00:10

Excellent. My sons will be very pleased. They like scandal and maybe the school will be off guard and turn a blind eye to their evil ways as they will be too busy sorting out the teachers' evil ways... This is looking better and better. Thank you all so much.

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senua · 15/04/2015 00:10

Ah, I don't know where the boundary is on that side. I'll believe you if you say it is the railway line, it sounds likely.Smile

Original poster
sumoweeble · 15/04/2015 00:13

Selly Oak trust school is rated good. What is a trust school, I wonder? My mum's mate used to live in Selly Oak and she sent us there when she was struggling with us in the holidays sometimes. We always had a lovely time (except her son was a bit of a turd but that was not the fault of Selly OaK of course)

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AtomicDog · 15/04/2015 00:16

Selly Oak Trust is a special school. A rather good one, but only if your children have statements, and MLD!

UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:17

I think that might be a SN school? If it's the one on Oak Tree Lane anyway.

AtomicDog · 15/04/2015 00:17

And really, really, never judge a school by its OFSTED rating!

Original poster
sumoweeble · 15/04/2015 00:18

Oh! No, their behaviour is appalling and hence their learning often compromised but they don't have learning difficulties apart from that, afaik.

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UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:19

I wouldn't even look at the streets around Selly Oak station. It's packed with students, and tensions exist between the young transient population and the long standing residents. Lots of bin bags and rats.

Original poster
sumoweeble · 15/04/2015 00:20

I don't, honest. Currently daughter is at requires improvement local primary and it is fantastic. Could not have got through the last year of hell without them!

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Original poster
sumoweeble · 15/04/2015 00:22

yy, Stirchley is the place not Selly Oak but it seems low on secondary schools and that map thingy on the rightmove website lists the chocolate head shagging teacher school and Selly Oak Trust school as the nearest ones.

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UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:23

There are a few; Kings Norton Boys or Girls (I can never remember which one) is close by.

UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:24

The good transport links mean that it's easy to get to one a couple of miles away.

Original poster
sumoweeble · 15/04/2015 00:25

Mind you, I'm looking at it wrong! How do Brum secondaries work? Are there catchment areas? I have no idea what my boys will be doing to be honest. All dependent on whether they get some GCSEs this time round. Currently the prospects are poor.

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AtomicDog · 15/04/2015 00:26

Selly Park Girls' will be the closest. DECTS HT has been suspended, he won't be going back.
Do teens need college/6th form places?

UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:30

Yes, there are catchment areas.

AtomicDog · 15/04/2015 00:30

ah- x-post.

Most schools don't have catchments, the majority of admissions are according to distance from home to school. Bournville I and J are two of the very few that actually operate a catchment system (presumably because the Cadbury family built the schools to benefit those living on BVT, i.e.their workers).

Some schools have very small cut-off distances though. However, if your DD is 5yo, you have a while to sort out where you want to live for secondary.

For primary, you'll have to take whatever they offer- beware, it may be 3 miles away! Primary schools are horrifically oversubscribed in Bham, due to baby boom since 2006. Will she be Y1 in September? Admissions have changed, and I think in-year admissions have gone back into the hands of individual schools.

UncertainSmile · 15/04/2015 00:31

I'm not the best to comment on schools really, mine have left.

Original poster
sumoweeble · 15/04/2015 00:31

Yes. They are twins, just turned 16. Doing GCSEs in a month or so. I think one of them may just scrape through and be able to do A levels if he is lucky but the other one is on course to fail the lot unless he really pulls his socks up. So may need place they can retake GCSEs or do some sort of vocational course. Both v interested in music production/ mixing/ whatever bad rapping is called these days.

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